random posts

random posts

Monday, 28 September 2009

Since arriving in the States and especially after touring my pristine and smoke-free campus of my alma mater, I feel like an alien for smoking--like it is something as antiquated as belladonna or opium dens. One is generally shamed into not smoking in public areas, even for a lack of signage. I am sure people look at me and shake their heads, feeling sorry for the poor alchemist who has still not learned to give up the habit.

Tuesday, 22 September 2009

H, wanting to better document our adventures, has begun a second blog--Our Little Travel blog. Originally, PfRC (there's a climate control technician down the street whose developed their own corporate logo and initialism BHT, Berenger Haus Technik, as if it were some well-known consortium and I wonder if the Family Berenger refers to the business as 'BHT' around the house--you know, BHT) was started as a little travel blog when we trawled around France together. I like that it is our little travel blog now. Next on to Atlantis, Pangaea and Gonwanaland.

Sunday, 20 September 2009

In anticipation of attending my 10 year college reunion, there is quite a clever little application that some people have been having quite a lot of fun with--yearbookyourself (sadly no more). Here is the Bundeskanzlerin Merkel had she attended an American high school. Before digital photography and the throw away chances to get things just right, this site exploits that rhetorical what-if.

Wednesday, 16 September 2009

Enjoying extrapolating my own news stories out of a double-quick-time crawl of headlines, I am not so sure what to make of the name-calling and bruised egoes. Apparently in response to Obama voicing his shared-assessment of a performance artist who interrupted a certainly reflexive and self-referential awards ceremony--the president called him a jack-ass, a member of congress called Obama a liar, though not in defense of the performance artist, and was dealt the first official rebuke of the congressional branch. Ever. There's something wanting about the punchline and the delivery, but it is certainly a counter-balance to the un-funny and incredible chrous of fear-mongering that accompanies the headlines. The spectre of socialized medicine, the public option has become so demonized, I wonder what demographic is polled in support of these claims. NHS is a sinister government ministry of euthanasia, so I understand. Public health care in France contributed to the death of Princess Diana. Now illegal immigrants can receive socialized health care... It's a slippery slope to marxism.

Sunday, 6 September 2009

If I am required to while away the Sunday practicing sophistry and not plagarizing terciary sources, I might as well try to sneak in a posting or two. Thanks for noticing... Apparently, one of the incoming units has stolen (appropriated) the Stone of Scone and adopted it as their mascot. I am not sure what the story is behind this but I imagine that the account above is not far off the mark. It has been resting outside this empty but rennovated building for some weeks now and makes about as much since as any lovable Olympic mascot or PSA-generated spokescreature, like Reddy Kilowatt or Regimental Goat.

Thursday, 3 September 2009

On-line graduate school is interfering with my little blog. For now I will leave you with this morsel from the Daily Telegraph that shows how popular website looked at their inception. Google and Drudgereport have not changed much. Who knew it was once the facebook?